Birmingham New Street Gateway
The original New Street station was formally opened in 1854. It was constructed as a joint station by the London and North Western Railway and the Midland Railway. The station was finally demolished in 1964 and a new station opened in 1967 to coincide with the electrification of the West Coast Mainline.
The station redevelopment led to the first ever sale of ‘air rights’ above the railway by British Rail leading to the construction of the Pallasades Shopping Centre in 1970. By 2011, over 140,000 passengers were using New Street every day (51.1 million per annum), more than double the number it was designed to cater for (60,000 per day).
The completion of the upgrade to the West Coast Main Line has seen increasing number of travellers. To meet the growing demand and expected growth over the next 40 years, the station needed to be redeveloped.
Birmingham New Street Gateway
The works comprised:
- the removal of all platform accommodation, existing staircases and escalators, ramped areas to the west and enclosures
- provision of seven new train dispatch rooms
- passive provision for platform widening of platform 8/9
- enlargement of existing concourse and dispersal bridge
- construction of a new control room
- new public information system
- new short-term parking facilities
- vast majority of works were carried out within the environment of a fully operational major station
- project operated as a commercial property development scheme to support project funding.
Birmingham New Street Gateway
The Gateway Project has seen the station transformed into a bright, modern, 21st century focal point for Birmingham. It has doubled capacity and delivered:
- a concourse that is three-and-a-half times bigger than the old station’s concourse and enclosed by a giant, light filled atrium
- more accessible, brighter and clearer platforms, reached by 30 new escalators and 15 new lifts
- a stunning new station façade
- better links to and through the station for pedestrians.
Birmingham New Street Gateway
Client: UK Department for Transport, Birmingham City Council, Advantage West Midlands and Centro
Location: Birmingham, UK
Start date: 2009
End date: 2015
Duration: 72 months
Contract value: £600m
Services provided: Programme management, station development, station planning